In response to NRA minions...

Reading the paper this morning, I see two new letters from the NRA minions. Any mention of common sense in regards to guns brings them out in droves.

If you've read one you've read them all: Their passionate praise of the NRA, their misreading of the Second amendment, their fears of rapists hiding under the bed, ISIS in the bushes, and their imaginary gun history, it's all there.

Then I see on the news another 2-year-old shot in the face by an idiot cleaning a 45 on Christmas Day. If only this was an isolated incident.

While these fools are stockpiling guns in fear of our constitutional government coming to get them, 7,000 children a year will be shot by those guns and over 3,000 will die.

George Fleming

Jackson Twp.

Typical comments from Saylor

Stan Saylor's recent comments concerning Gov. Wolf "is lying as usual" and should "quit acting like a child" are incredulous.

The words spoken in the hallowed halls of Harrisburg by politicians behind closed doors and in caucus rooms are forever elusive to taxpayers. But for those of us who have been following the statements of Stan Saylor for 15 years concerning pension increases, pension reform and property tax elimination with double-speak and selective memory recall of what he has done and will accomplish.

"Lying as usual" is his norm.

Dale M. McPherson

Stewartstown

The party system is the problem

In this day and age, politics is such a crucial topic with the upcoming election and the danger of terrorism arising in countries like Iraq and Syria. There are many disputes on how to properly deal with these threats as well as the possible entrance of Syrian refugees into this country.

The answer to this problem is unorthodox, but likely effective. If the party system is eliminated from American politics, disputes can be based on the issues themselves rather than the agendas of either political party. In George Washington's farewell address, he warns of the dangers of political parties, stating they obstruct liberty and are dangerous to the Union. Since candidates are elected to represent the party, they have a motive to fulfill party objectives rather than competently perform their job.

A senator should be representing the people of his state, not the members of his party. Political parties have also partially been responsible for causing ignorance in voting. For example, if a registered Democrat knew nothing about the upcoming presidential election, but decided to vote, he would go to the voting booth, see the label "Democrat" and vote for that candidate. Since the idea of a democratic system is to use the voice of the people for government, public ignorance derails this system.

The only way a democratic process can work properly is if the public is informed, and with political parties facilitating ignorance in the form of voting for a label rather than a person, the current poor state of American government is very easily explained.

In conclusion, while each party may blame the other for America's political problems, the inherent problem lies with the system itself, not any individual party.